For more than 29 years, Service Industry News has served as the voice of the pool and spa service professional. A twice monthly newspaper, the staff covers featured stories on equipment installation, trouble-shooting and repair; water chemistry and business issues facing the industry; and news pertaining to the interests of the pool and spa technician.

In addition to the newspaper, we have produced three technical books used throughout the industry as training and reference guides. The Professional Pool Technicians' Guide to Chlorine, Guide to Alternative Sanitizers and the Guide to pH, Alkalinity, Water Testing and Water Balance are compiled from articles that originally appeared in our newspaper.

We've also updated and republished an industry classic on pool care, Charlie Taylor's Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Pool Care. This light, easy-to understand and illustrated book has long been a part of any complete library on pool care. Now, it's also available in Spanish!

Call 949-916-0292 to order a subscription or purchase any of our products.

Consider the many benefits of working together

There are numerous reasons why smart service professionals are well aware of the value of maintaining strong working relationships with pool builders, plasterers, and renovators in their area.

Building a beautiful waterscape is one part artistic, and one part technical. Pool builders and renovators will be sure to recommend service professionals they believe will maximize the long-lasting beauty of their projects to showcase their work.

It’s also common that once the new pool or renovation is complete, contractors will frequently subcontract out their startup work.

So new pool startups are a natural foot in the door for service firms looking to build up their business.

That’s because if the service company is able to successfully manage the delicate chemistry involved in a new pool startup, there’s a great chance that the same firm will be invited back for weekly maintenance.

In the case of newly plastered pools, the process of effectively treating the initial water chemistry is a crucial time that can determine not only the appearance, but also the longevity of the pool shell.

New plaster goes through a break-in period called hydration where the plaster cures underneath the water. Calcium carbonate, called plaster dust, is released from the plaster, and if allowed to settle, will re-adhere to the surfaces as scale. It is necessary to maintain water balance at this time.

It’s also important to pay attention to the chemistry of the source water at this critical time. Metal ions in the source water that come out of solution can cause plaster staining.

For the pool owner, it’s essential to ensure that the initial water chemistry is maintained at a level of near perfection. Surface problems like blemishes caused by poor cement mixtures or incorrect troweling procedures are also easily blamed on bad water chemistry.

That’s why it is so important to know that the water is in balance over the months during which the curing is taking place.

To be sure, beginning chemical service on a newly plastered pool could result in disaster for the uninitiated. Regardless of the cause, pool owners will not be happy about blemishes on a brand new pool.

It’s for these reasons that service professionals maintain their important relationships with pool builders and plasterers.

In many cases, the new pool startup is successful because the service company works closely with the plasterer. Following and documenting all of the procedures that are recommended for newly plastered pools is the way to dot the Is and cross the Ts, and avoid blame for potential future problems.

Paid subscribers have full access to the complete coverage on pool and spa startups. Contact our circulation department at 949-916 0292 or email serviceindustrynewscd@yahoo.com for details.